In what marked a rare feel-good moment during an otherwise trying offseason, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak offered a remark that caught Jeremy Lin by surprise.

“Three times is a charm,” said Kupchak, who then detailed how the Lakers tried to sign Lin in 2010 as an undrafted rookie before Lin chose Golden State because of its closer proximity to home.

The Lakers then applied for a waiver claim when the Warriors dropped Lin in 2011, but the Houston Rockets earned the rights because of a worse record. Houston passed and Lin wound up in New York for a season, after which he became a free agent and signed with the Rockets.

The Lakers finally landed Lin this month after Houston traded him and a first- and second-round pick in a salary dump in an unsuccessful attempt to land Miami forward Chris Bosh.

Much has changed since the Lakers initially pursued Lin. He garnered national attention for a breakout season in New York three years ago. Last season with Houston, Lin lost his starting job to Patrick Beverly after averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 assists.

But despite labeling his arrival with the Lakers as a “fresh start,” Lin downplayed trying to provide a worthy sequel to “Linsanity.”

“I’m not trying to relive that banner season,” Lin said. “I’m not trying to be that phenomenon that happened in New York. I just want to be myself.”

The Lakers will still lean on Lin in various facets.

The Lakers need point guard reinforcements because of Steve Nash’s recurring back injuries that limited him last season to 15 games. Lin maintained he will stay in what he called “attack mode” regardless of Nash’s health and whether Lin starts or comes off the bench.

“I obviously believe I can start for an NBA team and help that team win,” said Lin, who gushed about Nash’s playmaking and footwork. “I would obviously love to, but that’s not me coming in saying, ‘I need this or need that.’”

Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese descent, has already proved a huge draw in expanding the Lakers’ global band. Several Asian media outlets attended Lin’s press conference on Thursday and are bound to flood the Lakers’ locker room next season, feeding an overseas appetite that already craves Kobe Bryant.

Lin has texted and spoken with Bryant since the trade, and expressed intrigue on learning about Bryant’s preparation.

“Kobe, anybody who wins as much as he does, definitely has the mental edge on eveybody else,” Lin said. “That’s something I would love to learn.”

“I wasn’t upset,” said Lin, who will wear No. 17 since Xavier Henry sports No. 7. “I just felt like they could’ve kept it internal.”

Lin also took no offense to Rockets guard James Harden describing himself and Dwight Howard as the team’s “cornerstones” while calling everyone else “role players.”

Said Lin: “It didn’t affect me at all. I agree with his statements.”

Most importantly, even with the Lakers aiming to accelerate their rebuilding, Lin offered no hint of worry about carrying the burden.

“I have the least amount of pressure on my shoulders now than I ever had,” said Lin, whose $14.9 million contract expires after next season. “I don’t think I play well when I put a lot of pressure on myself from an outside standpoint.”